Don't Mess with my Mommy
by scoob2222
Summary: Written for csi50. Prompt was writer’s choice: protection. Rowan protects her mother all the time, even from her father.


Prompt: Protection

Danny and Lindsay were both strong, opinioned people who came from very different backgrounds. So, while they shared many things in common, like a love of cars and football, they also argued on everything from the batmobile to the car they should own.

Their fights were sometimes fun, mere bickering, and other times loud and unpleasant. They had two rules about them. They kept them out of work and they kept them away fro their daughter. Lindsay was determined to never, ever speak badly about Danny to her kids, or to show them they had any problems. She never wanted them to be caught in between.

However, she just couldn't help it today. She was nearly five months pregnant and still getting sick and tired and Danny had just gone too damn far this time. She stood in their kitchen, trying to cook dinner while really all she did was cry into the pot of rice.

Rowan's only three, but she's been super attached to her mother from the start. She can sense her moods and right now, she knows her Mommy is upset. So, when Daddy comes in and Mommy starts to cry even more Rowan does the only thing she can thing of and launches herself at her father.

"Bad," she says, as she kicks his shins, "Bad Daddy, Bad."

"Rowan," Lindsay says sharply, "You stop that right now."'

"Its okay, Montana," Danny says, reaching down to scoop up his daughter, "Hey, baby girl, what did Daddy do that was bad?"

"Mama cried," she said, "She cried all day. Daddy bad."

Danny looked at Lindsay and then back at Rowan. Lindsay turned away and went back to the kitchen, "Yeah," Danny says, "Daddy was bad, but he's going to fix it."

Rowan grabbed his face, her eyes looking into his, "Make Mama stop crying?"

He kissed her pouted lips and smiled, "Promise."

Rowan nodded and when he put her down, she scrambled off to her play center, as if giving her father time to fix things.

Sometimes she was so smart it boggled his mind.

He walked into the kitchen, coming up behind Lindsay and kissing her shoulder, "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm really sorry, baby."

Lindsay tried to stomp down the tears that threatened again. Damn hormones.

"That's not good enough, Danny. That's my job you messed with today. I might be your wife and the mother of your daughter, but I'm also a damn good CSI. I need to be able to do my job and be respected. Everyone knowing that I can't interrogate a suspect because my husband says so is not the way I want to be seen."

"Okay," he said, "I see your point. I shouldn't have gone to Mac like that its just…you're five months pregnant Lindsay. I just…I saw that guy and I imagined you in that room with him…."

"And Flack."

"And the fucking U.S. Army and it wouldn't matter. You weren't safe in there and I need you to be safe. I need all of you to be safe. Maybe that makes me overprotective or chauvinistic, but I don't care. I love you and our children and I'll do anything to protect you…even piss you off."

Lindsay sighed and looked away again, "I get that Danny, I do. I know you were coming from a good place, but…you just can't keep us all in a bubble so nothing will ever happen. The world doesn't work that way…"

"You don't know what its like."

"I don't know what it's like," she said, "I'm sorry. Is this still Danny Messer talking? Danny Messer who routinely jumps off buildings or onto moving motorcycles or who last week almost got run over three times, count them three, by the same suspect."

Danny blushed, "That was an isolated incident…"

"Of you doing whatever you had to in order to get the bad guy. That's your job and mine too. Period."

Danny sighed, "You're not going to let me win this, are you?"

"No," she said, "Because you're wrong. I love you, Dan and I love Rowan and whoever I'm growing inside this ever-expanding body of mine, but I won't stop being myself for any of you. You shouldn't ask me too. After all you were first attracted to me when I cut that giant slab of meat."

"I was first attracted to you when I turned around and you were there. Of course, the meat thing was kind of hot. So was the story of you body slamming that guy. Can't believe I missed that."

"I could show you later."

"Who are you going to body slam?" he asked, grinning as she slid up against him.

"Well, I'll just have to find the closest one and slam him. Now anyone that might have a body I could use."

"I could probably find someone willing." He kissed her forehead, then her lips, "I love you Montana."

"I know," she said, "That's why I forgive you for being such a moron."

"I knew there was a reason I loved you."


End file.
